The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.
1.1 Respect for human dignity 1.2 Relationships to patients 1.3 The nature of health problems 1.4 The right to self-determination
1.5 Relationships with colleagues and others.
Provision 2
The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group or community.
2.1 Primacy of the patient’s interests 2.2 Conflict of interest for nurses 2.3 Collaboration
2.4 Professional boundaries.
Provision 3
The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.
3.1 Privacy
3.2 Confidentiality
3.3 Protection of participants in research 3.4 Standards and review mechanisms 3.5 Acting on questionable practice 3.6 Addressing impaired practice.
Provision 4
The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse’s obligation to provide optimum patient care.
73 4.1 Acceptance of accountability and responsibility 4.2 Accountability for nursing judgment and action 4.3 Responsibility for nursing judgment and action 4.4 Delegation of nursing activities.
Provision 5
The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.
5.1 Moral self-respect
5.2 Professional growth and maintenance of competence 5.3 Wholeness of character
5.4 Preservation of integrity.
Provision 6
The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving health care environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality care and consistent with values of the profession through individual and collective action.
6.1 Influence of the environment on moral virtues and values 6.2 Influence of the environment on ethical obligations 6.3 Responsibility for the health care environment.
Provision 7
The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development.
7.1 Advancing the profession through active involvement in nursing and in health care policy 7.2 Advancing the profession by developing, maintaining, and implementing professional
standards in clinical, administrative, and educational practice
7.3 Advancing the profession through knowledge development, dissemination, and participation to practice.
74 Provision 8
The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public in promoting community, national and international efforts to meet health needs.
8.1 Health needs and concerns 8.2 Responsibilities to the public.
Provision 9
The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy.
9.1 Assertion of values
9.2 The profession carries out its collective responsibility through professional associations 9.3 Intraprofessional integrity
9.4 Social reform.
(Interpretations of the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses can be read at http://www.ana.org/codeofethics, http://nursingworld.org/codeofethic
Standards of Professional Conduct for Registered Professional Nurses
The Illinois Nurse Practice Act:
1. Practice in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act.
2. Uphold federal and state regulations regarding controlled substances and alcohol.
3. Be accountable for own nursing actions and competencies.
4. Practice or offer to practice only within the scope permitted by law and within the licensee’s educational preparation and competencies.
5. Seek instruction and supervision from qualified individuals when implementing new or unfamiliar nursing activities.
6. Delegate tasks only to individuals whom the licensee knows or has reason to know are qualified by education or experience to perform.
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7. Delegate professional responsibilities only to individuals whom the licensee knows or has reason to know are licensed to perform.
8. Be accountable for the quality of nursing care delegated to others.
9. Report unsafe, unethical, or illegal health care or conditions to appropriate authorities.
10. Assume responsibility for continued professional and personal growth and education to reflect knowledge and understanding of current nursing care practices.
The Nurse Practice Act can be found online at www.idfpr.gov/nursepracticeact
The advanced nursing practice acts are defined by each professional organization and are usually derived from the ANA code of practice.
National and State Nursing Organizations
As a student in the graduate nursing program, you may want to join one or more of the following professional organizations. Membership fees for students are reasonably inexpensive for professional health organizations. These organizations provide educational publications and opportunities for meeting other professionals and becoming familiar with career guidelines at state, regional, or national meetings.
National:
American Nursing Association (ANA) – 8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3492, 301-628-5001 (fax),1-800-274-4ANA 4262. Membership includes the publication:
OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing and other Journals.
Website: http://www.nursingworld.org/default.aspx
American Public Health Association (APHA), 1015 Fifteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 2005, Phone: (202) 789-5600. Membership includes the publication American Journal of Public Health and the newsletter The Nation’s Health. Meets annually in the fall - usually October or November. Website: www.apha.org.
National League for Nursing (NLN), 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor New York, NY 10006, Phone:212-812-0300, Fax:212-812-0391, Membership includes the publication Nursing Education Perspectives Journal. Website: http://www.nln.org/
National Center for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. Test months are April and October.
944 Marcon Blvd., Suite 310, Allentown, PA 18109, Phone Toll Free: (888) 673-5445, Fax:
(999) 634-5316. Website: www.nchec.org.
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National Wellness Institute Inc., 1300 College Court, P. O. Box 827, Stevens Point, WI 54481- 0827, Toll Free: 1-800-244-8922, Phone: (715) 342-2969, Fax: (715) 342-2979
Email:[email protected]. Membership includes journal publication discounts and job bulletin. Annual conference in July at UW – Stevens Point.
Website: http://www.nationalwellness.org.
American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), 155 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60606, Phone: 312-422-2800, Fax: 312-278-0861. Membership includes journal publication - The Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA). Website: http://www.aone.org/
Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE). The Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) provides a meeting ground for those committed to excellence in community and public health nursing education, research, and practice. Website: http://www.achne.org
State:
Illinois Public Health Association - Mission is to improve the health of Illinois residents through leadership in the advancement of the practice of public health.
Website: http://www.ipha.com.
Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS). 15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, Phone: 856.380.6830, [email protected]. Membership includes monthly meetings, student board positions, professional networking and job exchange, workshops,
conferences with students’ presentations, and professional opportunities.
Website: http://www.mnrs.org/
Illinois In-Home Care Services Association for Elderly Home Care Providers, P.O. Box 5378 River Forest, IL 60305. Phone: (708) 488-8995, Website: www.idoahomecare.org.
Illinois Health Care Association (IHCA), 1029 South Fourth Street Springfield, IL 62703.
Website: http://www.ihca.com.
Illinois Association of Community Care Program Homecare Providers (IACCPHP).
Membership includes newsletter Update and monthly meetings. Membership applications are available at the Community Health and Nutrition Office—see your advisor if you have an interest in a particular organization. Health Education Professional Resources (HEPR).
Website: http://www.nyu.edu./education.hepr/info.html.
Involvement in Nursing Organizations
In the tradition of the public health discipline, faculty encourage both graduate and undergraduate students to become involved in local, state, national and international health
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organizations. With a nominal enrollment fee, a student can become a member of any of the organizations listed below:
American Public Health Association (APHA) htt://www.apha.org.; American Association for the Advancement of Health Education; International Institute for Health Promotion, Washington DC; Global Health Council, 20 Palmer Court, Vermont 05001; USA Corporation for National &
Community Service American Alliance for Health; Physical Education Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD); AmeriCorps, Washington DC; Illinois Public Health Association.